Summer Grilling

Main Dishes

Sweet and Tangy Butterflied Chicken

Butterflying Guarantees Crisp Skin, Even Cooking.

Butterflying is a neat technique for removing the backbone from a whole chicken so that the bird lies flat. This way, the entire surface of the chicken is exposed to direct heat (hello crispy skin!) and the meat cooks quickly and evenly. It’s a snap to learn (see our tip, below), or ask your butcher to do it for you.

Once butterflied, the chicken marinates in a seductive sweet-and-spicy mix of red wine vinegar, hot sauce, and seasonings, with a touch of brown sugar to make the flavors pop. Grilled, butterflied chicken is a super sassy summer dish that’s easy to carve, and even easier to love!

Butterflying a chicken, that is, removing the backbone, is an easy technique to learn and master. Here’s how: Place chicken on cutting board breast side-down. Using a boning knife or kitchen shears, cut chicken along one side of the backbone. Repeat on remaining side to remove backbone. Place chicken on cutting board, breast side-up with both legs extended. Using the heel of your hand, firmly press on breastbone (located in the middle of breasts) to break it and flatten chicken.